19. Saint Mary’s (27-4)
The Gaels have quietly had another pretty successful season and that’s nothing new for Randy Bennett and company. There aren’t any household names on this Saint Mary’s roster but they’re still stacking wins in the WCC and are starting to look like a team that can make noise on the national scale. Based on what they accomplished this week, you might have your eyes on the Gaels when the bracket drops in a few weeks.
First, the Gaels upended Santa Clara 86-67 on Wednesday night, avenging an earlier loss in the season. Mikey Lewis had 21 points and 7 assists while three other Gaels had double-doubles in a terrific team performance. Then came Saturday night and more revenge, but this time Saint Mary’s really shined in a 70-59 upset win over Gonzaga. Lewis was the star of the show with a 31-point outing while Joshua Dent added 14 points, helping lead a strong second half.
Amazing feelings are present in Moraga after avenging their two WCC losses with double-digit home wins. The Gaels tied Gonzaga at 16-2 atop the league standings and are riding an 8-game winning streak into the postseason. Saint Mary’s absolutely secured their place in the NCAA Tournament with these performances and should be a team to watch. Will they get a third shot at Gonzaga in the upcoming WCC Tournament?